July 25, 2006

2006 U.S. Amateur Championship

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara men's golf will be represented at the 2006 U.S. Amateur Championship as senior Jong Yoon qualified for a slot in the tournament while incoming freshman Shaun Pienkos played his way to an alternate spot.

Yoon shot a two-round score of 140 at Contra Costa Country Club in Pleasant Hill Monday to tie for second, good enough to make the cut as the top two scores at each qualifying tournament earn a berth in the U.S. Amateur. For the San Ramon native it will be his second U.S. Amateur appearance, having played in the 2003 tournament.

Pienkos, a Saratoga native, played Monday in a qualifying tournament held at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club in Menlo Park, shooting a 143, tied for third and good for an alternate slot.

The 2006 U.S. Amateur Championship will be held from August 21-27 at Hazeltine National Golf Course in Chaska, Minn. The tournament consists of two rounds of stroke play, after which the field is whittled down to the top 64 players. At this point, the tournament becomes match-play, culminating in a 36-hole final on the last day.